I’ve always known that kettlebell work can be high heart rate, but I’ve never specifically tried to put together a cardio workout using only a kettlebell. And now I’m so glad I did! Oh my goodness, this workout was so much FUN!

I went back and forth on exactly how to put this one together. I knew I wanted some strength exercises in addition to the cardio (because that’s just the way I do things!), but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend the whole workout counting or using a timer. In the end, the timer won out, because me and counting don’t always get along. 🙂

I’ve rated this workout as Level FIVE because of the fast pace – it’s best if you’re already familiar with the kettlebell moves, otherwise you’ll spend a good portion of the short interval just trying to figure it out, which negates that whole high heart rate thing. Because the purpose of this workout? CARDIO, baby! This is all high heart rate work, with no rest and no easy exercises.

Feel free to follow along with the exercise video below, or you can take this printout with you wherever you go. Let me know if you have any questions about the exercises.

Set your timer for intervals of 40 seconds and 20 seconds. Neither one of these is rest, this is a non-stop workout! Begin your workout with a warm up of at least 15x each of Arm Circles, Arm Crossers, High Knees and Booty Kickers, then move on to the main workout. The Swings are performed for 40 seconds, the other exercise in the pair is performed for 20 seconds.